Process for compressing and purifying air.



PATENTED NOV. 5, 1907.

W. O. FELT. PRDGESS FOR COMPRESSING AND PURIPYING AIR.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 9, 1906.

'- m STATES AEN'E FFICE.

WILLARD O. FELT, OF NEW YORK, N. Y. 4

To all whom it may concern: 1

Be it known that I, WILLARD O. FELT, a citizen of T the United States, and a resident of the city, county,

' Leading from the top of the compressed air and sepafication.

and State of New York, have invented certain new and-useful Improvements in Processes for Compressing and-Purifying- Air, of which the following is aspeci- One of the objects of my invention is to compress the air without heating and to purify the same. during compression and in removing the moisture or aqueous vapor held in suspension 'so that the compressed'dry' air may be used expansively without choking the air passages and impeding the action of the valves 11 the expansion cylinder.

Other objects will appear from the scription. r

'I have illustrated one type of apparatus for out my invention.

Referring to the drawing, Figure 1 is a plan view of such apparatus with the ordinary valvesand other accessories of an engine and compressor removed therefrom. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal. section of the conipressed air and separating tank. 3 is a vertical longitudinal section of theglyc erincooling tank.

The part marked A on the drawing represents an ordinary steam engine for driving the crank shaft B. C a compression cylinder driven by said engine in which the atmospheric air is compressed to about 5 or 10 atmospheres. c is the air in the-pipe of said compression cylinder and c is the outlet pipe.

D is a tank adapted to contain glycerin and is connectedto the compression cylinder by the pipe E.

hereinafter de- This glycerin tank is provided with a coil d therein -through.whichair, water or other cooling medium .may be circulated to keep the glycerin cool. The

exhaust pipe 0' leads into the top of the compressed air and separating tank F, thistank being provided inside with a series of bafiie plates-f. The bottom of this compressed air and separating tank is connected to the bottom of the glycerin tank by the pipe G.

rating tank is a pipe H which is connected to.the expansion cylinder J. This cylinder has an exhaust pipe leading therefrom.

7 In operation, the glycerin tank D is-supplied iwith glycerin and a cooling medium is caused to ci-rculate through the coil 1. The engine A is put into operation and through the crank shaft the compressor is driven.

- At each stroke'of thepistonof the compressor, air is drawn through the pipe 1: and glycerin is drawn from the tank D through the pipe E into the cylinder. The

glycerin is mixed with the air -and it extracts the heat Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed Apri19f1906. Serial No. 310.627.

Patented 0v. 5, 1907.

from the-air generated during the compression and absorbs the aqueous vapor held in suspension in the air. The glycerin also prevents any leakage of air past the piston and valves, and also insures a complete discharge of the air from the compression cylinder.

The compressed air and glycerin are discharged together from the compression cylinder through the exhaust pipe 0 into the compressed air and separating tank F. The glycerin and absorbed and contained aqueous vapor and heat falls on the baflie plates f to the bottom of this tank and is drawn from said tank to the glycerin tank as the compressor operates. The

compressed dry air in the tank F passes out through the pipe H to the expansion cylinder J in whichit expands down to the pressure of the atmosphere doing work through the connecting rods and cranks to assist the steam cylinder in driving the compressor. If desired, I may pass this dry compressed air from the tank F iirto a surface condenser, not shown, if found necessary. It is understood that vapor cut-off gears are fitted to both the steam cylinder and air expansion cylinder. However, this is not shown, as the operation thereof is well understood. In locating the cranks of the driving shaft, the c ank driving the air c0mpressor leads the steam cylinder to apply the greatest pressure attainable to the piston of the air compressor at the time it is completing its stroke. When the glycerin contained in the tank becomes thoroughly saturated with aqueous vapor, it is drawn off and then heated to about 212, F. to evaporate the aqueous vapor contained therein. The glycerin so treated can be replaced in the tank D and used over and over again,

no lossor waste taking place, except that which may occur through leakage. The exhaust from the expansion cylinder K may be discharged into an insulated pipe through which it is conveyed to the place where it is desired to utilize it for cooling. The mixture of the air and glycerin effected by the compressor 0 isa very important part of my invention. Ihave discovered that by subjecting the air during compression to the action of glycerin, I am enabled to remove practically all the a'queous vapor and impurities carried by the air besides extracting the heat generated during compression. 1

While-I have described my invention as applied to air, it is well understood that other gases may be used.

While I have shown one type of apparatus for carry'ing out my invention,-it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to said apparatus, as many other types paratus shown without departing frorn my invention.

Having now described my invention, what I claim glycerin and separating the again as nevy and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1s: utilizing the Separated aim p The Process which Consists in Compressing 81.15, 4. The process which consists in mixing a gas and glycllllecting yc the g While being compressed W erin together while the gas isunder compression, I 5 by the aqueous vapor .and impurities contained in the gas In testimon whe of, h n "'t and the heat generated by compression are absorbed by the y re I ave ereun 0 set my hand at the city, county and State of New York, this fourth day 20 glycerin.

2. The process which consists in compressing air, injectof 1906' ing glycerin in the air (iuring compression, exhausting the R F 10- glycerin and air, separating the air and glycerin, and again 1 i injecting the glycerin into the air being compressed. In presence of- 3. The process which consists in compressing air, inject JOHN .T. RANAGAH,

ing glycerin in the air during compression, exhausting the H. J. Lmnm.

injecting the glycerin into the m being compressed, and 15 

